Insulator



P. G, BRINEY Feb. 7, 1933.

INSULATOR Filed April 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Perry rize P. G, BRINEYFeb. 7, 1933.

INSULATOR Filed April 23, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented F eb. 7, 1933PATENT oFI-lcE PERRY G. BRINEY, 0F TORRANCE, CALIFORN'IA INSULATOBApplication filed April 23,

This invention relates to anl improvement in insulators and insulatingsupports for charged electrical conductors, such as wires or cables, andhas as its primary object the provision of an insulator' which willprevent leakage or grounding of current or closing of a circuit bydampness when such insulator and its support are wet as'from rain, mist,fog, dew, or snow.

Another object is to provide such an insulator which is so formed thatan insulating dry strip will at all times be maintained between the twosides of such insulator.

Another object is to provide means for i' preventing particles of waterfrom splashing off of any exposed areas of the insulator or conductor orattachments onto the insulating dry strip, when rain drops strike anysuch surface.

It is also an object of the invention to prevent tlie dripping orflowing of water from the outer surface of such insulator onto anyelectrically conductive element to which such insulator may be attached,which ldripping or flowing might, if allowed, act as a conductor tocarry the electrical charge from a charged electrical conductor past theinsulator to any electrically conductive element or ground desired to beinsulated from such charged conductor.

It is also an object of the invention to provide interlinking bores foraccommodating, and insulating from each other, interconnecting links ofsuitable material; said links constituting means for attaching suchinsulator to its supporting element on one side, and to a chargedconductor on the other side of such insulator; and said bores being soconstructed that when the insulator is in its normal position watercannot drain into such bores and infiltrate through porcelain in caseany portion of the internal surface of such bores should be unglazedporcelain.

lVith the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objectsand advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in theparts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed and illus- 1931. Serial No. 532,236.

trated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the insulator in longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the 55 insulator shown in Figure1;'

Figure 3. is a view in elevation lookin the direction of thek arrow,shown in ure l;

Figure 4' is a view in longitudinal section 60 the direction of thearrow, shown in Figure 4. 65

Referring to the drawings and more specifically to Figures 1, 2 and 3, Aindicatesy an electrically non-conductive insulator which is formed yofany suitable electrically nonconductive material, as for example,porcelain, or rubber, but the material may be of any character adaptedto serve the purpose for which the insulator is intended.

The insulator is here shown as having a body portion B of arcuate crosssection, and with two spaced and approximately parallel downwardlydepending lips 7 and 8 projecting from the-lower edge of such bodyportion, with the lower margins of both such lips 1n approximately thesame horizontal plane, said lips 7 and 8 being'spaced from each other bya channel 9.

l Formed in continuation of the lip 8 is a lip 10 projecting outwardapproximatel horizontally from the body portion B and ex;S 85

tending upwardly in an arc to form with the lip 8 one continuous innerlip.

Formed in continuation of the lip 7 is a lip 1l spaced from the lip l0by an internal chan- 90 nel 12, said lip 11 being turned inwardly topartially enclose the internal channel 12, said lips 7 and 11 formingone continuous outer lip; and said channel 12 being a continuation ofthe channel 9 and together with such chang5 nel 9 forming one continuouschannel. y

The upper inner peripheral portion of the arch formed by the inwardlyprojecting margin of the lip 11 is here shown as formed to lead from theline medially of the arch into 100 the depending side portions thereofto form a =shallow groove 13 extending inwardly from the outer face ofthe arch.

Extending over the outer end portion of the groove 13 is an overhangingledge 14. The ledge forms a valley 15 which serves to deflect or directstreams or drops of water impinging thereon to either or both sides ofthe arch in such manner as to prevent the Acollection of drops of wateronthe upper portion of the outer face of the arch formed by the lip 11.

The body portion B is formed with two circular bores 16 and 17 extendingin a general U-shaped course into the mid portion of such body portionB; the bore 16 being disposed on, or approximately on, a perpendicularplane at right angles to the plane of the outer face of the arch formedby the outer lip 11, and being formed with the ends of such boreinclined downwardly to prevent water from i'iowing into such bore thebore 17 being disposed on a plane at, or approximately at, right anglesto the plane in which the bore V16 is disposed, and at a slight inclinefrom the horizontalto prevent water from flowing into said bore; saidtwo bores being interlinked with relation to each other but notinterconnecting; said bores being of suitalble dimensions to accommodatelinks of metalcable 18 and 19 or other suitable materialfor attachingsaid insulator to its support onone side and to a charged conductor onthe other side of said insulator.

In the application and operation of the form of theinvention justdescribed, the end of the cable 18 is threaded through the bore 16 andthe end made fast to that portion of I the cable still remaining outsidethe bore so as to form a link surrounding a portion ofthe insulator andsurrounding the other cable 19 which has meanwhile been threaded throughthe other bore 17, and made fast upon itself forming a link similar tothe link just de scribed as being formed with the cable 18, such linksbeing thus interlinked and yet'insulated from each other by a portion ofthe electrically non-conductive material of which the insulator isconstructed. By means of such pieces of cable the insulator may beattached, in a manner well known in the art, toy a supporting membersuch as a pole or cross-arm on one side of such insulator and to anelectrically charged conductor on the other side of such insulator.

By constructing the ends of the bores 16 and 17 ywith a downwardinclination water will drain out of such bores, and cannot flow intosame, so that in event the glazed porcelain lining of such bores becracked no waterl will collect in such bores and drain into such cracks.j A

However, it is not absolutely necessary that bore 16 shall have bothends inclined downwardly as such bore is disposed on 'a perpendicularplane and water will quickly drain out of such bore with thereforeslight opportunity for such water to permeate the bodyof Sie porcelaineven though the glazing be bro- Water collecting on the outside of theinsulator will drain downward and fall from the edge ofthe lip 7; thewater falling on the top of the insulator above the ledge 14 will drainto such ledge and by such ledge be deflected and will follow the valley15 to one end or the other of such ledge and will flow on at the ends ofsuch ledge onto the outer face of the lip 11 and thence downward anddrain from the lower edge of the lip 7. j

The arch formed by the inward curving of the margin of the outer lip 11is constructed with an inverted V-shaped top so that if any drops ofwater collect on the outer face of the arch formed by such lip 11 andbelow the top of the ledge 14, and flow under suoli ledge and under sucharch they will follow one of the hanging walls of such arch downwardlyand pass therefrom at apont below the metal link 18 instead of drippingfrom the top of such arch onto such metal link 18. Such dripping ontosuch metal is not desirable because the elongation of the drops duringsuch dripping materially lessens the distance which the electric currentis required to jump or arc across from the electrically conductiveelement 18 to the we t outer face of the insulator.

rEhe film of water on such wet surface will conduct electricity over thetop and the back or sides of such insulator and tothe metal link 19 andthence along a wet cross-arm to another charged Lconductor which mightbe improperly insulated, or through a wet power line pole to the ground,so that it is H" lip 11. Such drops of water each become for l themoment a prolongation of the electrically conductive iilm of water onthe outer surface of such insulator, and if such dripping water shouldbe sufficient in volume that the drops do not separate but form astream, such stream would form a complete circuit, making unnecessaryany arcing of the current through the atmosphere 1n closing suchcircuit.

vWhile the principal feature of the invenl" tion so far as it relates tothe lip 11, consists in so forming such lip 11 that water falling on theinsulator will not come in contact with the channel 12 under such lip11, and while this can be accomplished without turning inwardly themargin of such lip 11, and while suchform of the lip 11 without suchinwardly turned margin provides a practical and useful insulator inlight rains, and under all conditions of fog and mist, yet I prefer toturn inwardly the margin of said lip 11 whereby water striking the cable18 as, for example, during a very heavy rainfall, and being deflectedunder the arch formed by the lip 11 will be prevented from passing intothe channel 12 and thence possibly reaching the channel 9. The channels9 and 12 must be maintained dry at all times, or at least a portion oftheir width throughout their entire continuous length must be somaintained, in

order to prevent the meeting of the films of water on the opposite sidesof such insulator.

The margins of the lips 7 and 11 are spaced such distance from themargins of the lips 8 and 10 respectively, and the margins of the lip 11are spaced such distance from the cable 15 that, at the voltage beingused in the charged conductor, the electric current cannot arc acrosssuch spaces.

Particles of water passing under the arch formed by the lip 11 andstriking the surface of the body portion b of the insulator will draindownwardly and drip from the lip 8 leaving the channels 9 and 12 alwaysdry, to insulate from each other the two opposite wet sides of suchinsulator as just mentioned, and also insulate from each other in wetweather the charged conductor at one side of the insulator from thesupporting member at the other side thereof.

Referring more specifically to Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, thereis here shown a modified form of the invention in which there isprovided only one arched lip instead of two, such arched lip being soshaped as to form by itself alone the internal channel extending upwardin an arc over one of the supporting members. In all other respects theform here shown is substantially the same as Figures 1,

' 2 and 3.

In Figures 4, 5 and 6, C indicates generally a non-conductive insulatorof any suitable non-conductive material. The insulator is here shown ashaving a body portion D of arcuate cross section, and with two spaceddownwardly depending lips 2O and 21 proj ecting from the lower edge ofsuch body portion, said lips being spaced from each other by a channel22.

Formed in continuation of the lip 2O is a lip 23 extending upwardly inan are to form with the lip one continuous outer lip, said lip 23 beingcurved to form a channel 24 on the inner side of said lip, said channel24 being a continuation of the channel 22, and together with suchchannel 22, forming one endless channel.

The upper inner peripheral portion of the arch formed by the inwardlyprojecting inargin of the lip 23 serves to form a shallow groove 25 inmanner heretofore described respecting the groove 13 of Figures 1, 2 and3.

Extending over the outer end portion of the groove 25 is an over-hangingledge 26. Such ledge forms a valley 27 on its upper side.

The body portion is formed with two circular bores 28 and 29 constructedin the same form and shape as the bores 16 and 17 respectively ofFigures 1 and 2.

In the application and operation of the form of the inventionillustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6 and just described, cables 30 and 31are threaded through the bores 28 and 29 respectively in the mannerdescribed hereinbefore for threading cables 18 and 19 through the bores16 and 17 respectively of the form of the insulator shown in Figures 1,2 and 3, and being made fast in the same manner, serve the same purposesand perform the same functions in this form as said cables 18 and 19;and the said bores 28 and 29 serve the same purpose and perform the samefunctions as the bores 1G and 17 of said previously described form.

The lips 20, 21 and 23 bear the same relation to each other and performthe same functions in this form as the lips 7, 8 and 11 respectively insaid previously described form, and channels 22 and 24 serve the' samepurposes and perform the same functions here as channels 9 and 12respectively in such previously described form; and the functions of theledge 26 and the valley 27 here are the same as the functions of theledge 14 and valley 15 of such previously described form. The invertedV-shaped groove 25 here performs the same functions as the groove 13 ofsuch previously described form.

Water striking any part of the insulator in this form will be disposedof in similar manner to that described for such previously describedform.

While I have shown and described specific embodiments of my invention, Ido not limit myself to the exact details of construction shown, but mayemploy such changes and modifications as occasion may require, comingwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical insulator adapted to be so used that the line of thestrain exerted thereon by the electrical conductor supported therebywill be at an angle from the perpendicular; means for attaching acharged electrical conductor to one side of such insulator; means forattaching a supporting member to another side of such insulator;downwardly depending lipson the under side of such insulator in spacedrelation to each other, and extending transversely to the direction ofthe line of strain above mentioned; in continuation of said lips otherlips in spaced relation to each other flared outwardly and upwardly overthe said line of strain, one of said lips partially surrounding anotherof said lips.

2. An electrical insulator adapted to be so used that the line of thestrain exerted thereon If by the electrical conductor supported therebywill be at an angle from the perpendicular; means for attaching acharged electrical conductor to one side of such insulator; means forattaching a supporting member to another side of such insulator; a-pairof downwardly depending spaced lips extending across the lower side ofsuch insulator, a pair of spaced lips arcuate in cross section 4at oneend of such insulator formed in continuation ot' said irst named pair oflips, the outermost of said end lips being turned inwardly andterminating in spaced relation to the inner side of the innermost ofsaid end lips.

3. An electrical insulator adapted to be so usedthat the line of thestrain exerted thereon by the electrical conductor supported therebywill be at an angle from the perpendicular; means for attaching acharged electrical conductor to one side of such insulator; means forattaching a supporting member to another side of such insulator; a pairof downwardly depending spaced lips extending across the lower side ofsuch insulator, a pair of spaced lips arcuate in cross section at oneend of such insulator formed in continuation of said first named pair otlips, the outermost of said end lips being turned inwardly andterminating in spaced relation to the under side of the innermost ofsaid end lips; a ledge on the outer face of such inwardly turned lip.

4. An electrical insulator adapted to be so used that the line of thestrain exerted thereon by the electrical conductor supported therebywill be at an angle from the perpendicular; means for attaching acharged electrical conductor to Vone side of such insulator; means forattaching a` supporting member to another side of such insulator; a pairof downwardly depending spaced lips extending across the lower side ofsuch insulator, a pair of spaced lips arcuate in cross section at oneend of such insulator formed in continuation of said iirst named pair oflips, the outermost of said end lips being turned inwardly andterminating in spaced relation to the under side of the innermost ofsaid end lips; the arch formed by the inwardly turned edge of such outerlip having an inverted V-shaped groove at its apex.

, 5. An electrical insulator adapted to be so used that the line of thestrain exerted thereon by the electricalV conductor supported therebywill be at an angle from the perpendicular; a pair of spaced lips at oneend ot such insulator, such lips being ared outwardly and upwardly andextendingV over such line of strain; a ledge on the outer face of theouter lip of said pair of lips, such ledge forming a Valleybetween thetop of such ledge and such outer face.

6. An electrical insulator adapt-ed to be so 'used that the line of thestrain exerted thereon by the electrical conductor supported therebywill be at an angle from the perpendicular; downwardly depending lips onthe under side of such insulator, in spaced relation to each other, andextending transversely to the direction of the line of said strain; incontinuation or one of said lips a lip iiared outwardly and upwardly inan arch over the said line ot strain, said lip forming a channel on itsunder side, said channel being a continuation of the channel formedbetween two or" the downwardly depending lips on the under side or" saidinsulator. Y

7. An electrical insulator adapted to be so used that the line of thestrain exerted thereon by the electrical conductor supported therebywill be at an angle from the perpendic'ular; downwardly depending lipson theunder side of such. insulator, in spaced relation to each otherand ext-ending ransyersely to the direction ot the line o said strain;in continuation ot one ot' said lips a lip flared outwardly and upwardlyin an arch over the said line ot strain, said lip forming a channel onits under side, said channel being a continuation of the channel formedbetween two of the downwardly depending lips on the under side of saidinsulator, a ledge on the outer tace of the arch ormed by said flaredlip, such ledge forming a valley between the top of suoli ledge and thesaid outer face ot said arch.

PERRY eBarNnY.

